Instructions for the Degree Thesis and Exposé

Your dissertation topic should generally align with the courses offered and the research priorities of the Chair of International Politics. Within this framework, you are free to choose your topic and research question in consultation with your supervisor. Your dissertation should demonstrate your ability to independently address a subject-specific problem using academic methods within a given timeframe.

As an alternative to an empirically oriented dissertation, in which you analyse data in some form, you may also choose to write a theoretically oriented dissertation. In this case, empirical examples can be used to illustrate, critique, and/or further develop theoretical approaches. A theoretical dissertation should not merely provide a descriptive account of theories and concepts; rather, it should engage with them in a specific and well-defined manner. For further guidance, please refer to the reading recommendations on theoretical and conceptual research in the document "Research Methods and Academic Techniques in International Relations".

The research question is central to your dissertation. Therefore, you should take sufficient time to develop and, if necessary, refine your question. At the beginning of your dissertation, you should review relevant studies on your topic, particularly comprehensive works, with a focus on different research questions. It is often useful to reverse or adapt established questions. For instance, you might question the direction of effect between two factors, introduce perspectives that have received little attention, or critically examine the underlying assumptions of established research questions that have not yet been sufficiently explored.

It is advisable to begin planning your thesis at least one semester before your intended graduation. The process of refining your topic, preparing the research proposal, and completing the dissertation requires significant time. Additionally, the department can only guarantee supervision if sufficient advance notice is given.

Once your primary supervisor has approved your research proposal, you may register your thesis with the relevant examination office.

The exposé (or research proposal) is an essential component of every thesis. It is designed to help you make early decisions regarding the refinement of your study. Additionally, it enables your supervisor to provide detailed and constructive feedback throughout the research process. Please also refer to the Guidelines for Writing a Research Exposé.

In the MA International Relations, all theses supervised by the Chair must be presented in the research colloquium. This presentation is based on your exposé and provides an opportunity to receive feedback from your fellow students and the chair's staff while discussing any open questions or challenges related to your project in a constructive setting.

For students in other programmes: If you wish to present your exposé in the colloquium, this may be possible, provided that presentation slots are still available.

Presentation slots for the research colloquium are allocated at the beginning of each semester. If you are enrolled in the MA International Relations, please ensure that you register in time via OPAL. Additionally, note that you can only enrol in the colloquium once you have received confirmation of supervision from a faculty member (see Guidelines for Writing Final Theses).

Your primary supervisor at the Chair of International Politics will support you throughout the development of your thesis, typically through three to four consultation meetings.

• The first meeting focuses on topic selection and addressing fundamental questions.
• The second meeting aims to refine your research question.
• The third meeting is dedicated to discussing your exposé and preparation for the colloquium.
• A fourth meeting may be scheduled during the writing process to address newly arising issues, such as methodological challenges.

Due to the high number of theses supervised at the Chair of International Politics, we are unable to provide repeated detailed feedback beyond the scheduled three to four meetings (see Guidelines for Writing Final Theses).

If you wish, you are welcome to write your dissertation in English. Depending on your degree programme, you may be required to submit an informal request for approval.

Any commonly used citation style in the social sciences is accepted. The key requirement is the consistent and uniform application of the chosen citation rules.

The Web of Science database is a useful starting point for researching high-quality literature in English. It provides access to relevant academic publications and you can get an impression of the influence of the articles based on the frequency of citations. Additionally, handbook articles are a valuable resource for gaining an initial overview of a research field. Recommended examples include The Oxford Handbook of International Relations and The Handbook of International Relations (Sage).

There is no strict rule regarding the number of references to include; however, quality of well selected references is more important than quantity. Engaging deeply with a selection of key and influential studies relevant to your research question will be more valuable for your dissertation than attempting to incorporate a large number of sources of varying relevance.

Of course, you may use German-language texts. However, in the field of international politics, it is difficult to completely avoid English-language sources. For key works, you should therefore engage with the original texts and reference them accordingly.

Due to the high number of theses and other assessments handled by the Chair of International Politics, you should expect a processing time of up to ten weeks. If you submit your thesis during the semester break, this period may be extended by an additional four weeks. Please take this timeline into account when planning applications for further study programmes.

If your study regulations require an oral examination, a date can be arranged once both evaluations have been completed. In the formal defence, you should briefly present the key points and findings of your thesis. The better part of your presentation should be used to address the critical remarks made in the evaluations.